Nantes 3-1 PSG: What does the shock loss reveal about the league leaders?

PSG suffered a shock defeat to Nantes in Ligue 1, as their margin over the rest of the league took a hit. Marseille now have a golden chance to reduce the points margin to 10 if they can win their game in hand. 

French publication L’Equipe gave Gini Wijnaldum a two out of ten rating in the defeat, as he gave away the handball that led to a penalty for Nantes. On the other hand, Lionel Messi was given a four despite all three of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe starting the game. 

PSG’s shock defeat to Nantes spells out their problems 

Neymar missed a penalty as the league leaders endured a difficult trip away from home. The Brazilian would also find the back of the net in the second half, but it was ultimately a consolation goal as they were unable to mount a comeback. 

Interestingly, the loss comes only days after their 1-0 win against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes were both benched for the game against Nantes, and the decision ultimately proved too costly. 

PSG’s most recent loss reveals the problems in their team. While they have arguably the best attack in the world on paper, there is an imbalance in the team. The midfield and defensive performance from PSG has not been the most convincing, as showcased by their loss. 

This imbalance is one of the main reasons why Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with a move away from PSG. And we wouldn’t be too surprised to see the inconsistencies finally add up to be too much for Pochettino to stay.